HomeSportsNew national record for Myers; Bahamian collegians and elite athletes get on track

New national record for Myers; Bahamian collegians and elite athletes get on track

Androsian Tamara Myers set a new national record in the women’s triple jump indoors over the weekend, recording a leap of 13.60m (44’ 7 1/2”) at the Tyson Invitational, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The old national record of 13.54m (44’ 5-1/4”) was set by Grand Bahamian Daphne Saunders in 1994.
RAS MYKKAL

A new national record highlighted a spectacular weekend of athletics for Bahamians, both on the collegiate circuit and among elite athletes.

Androsian Tamara Myers already holds the outdoor national record in the women’s triple jump, and this past weekend, she set a new national mark in the women’s triple jump indoors, with a massive 13.60 meters (m) – 44’ 7 1/2” – leap. That jump was good enough to win the women’s triple jump invitational at the Tyson Invitational, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The old national record was 13.54m (44’ 5-1/4”), and it was set by Grand Bahamian Daphne Saunders all the way back in 1994.

A number of Bahamian collegiate track and field athletes also figured prominently in several indoor meets around the United States over the weekend.

At the SPIRE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Invitational in Geneva, Ohio, Keianna Albury, from Penn State, had another strong showing in the short sprints, finishing first in the women’s 200 meters (m) in 24.05 seconds and second in the 60m dash in 7.47 seconds.

Back at the Tyson Invitational, Carmiesha Cox, from Purdue, took down her school’s 200m record, just a few hours before running a leg of the 4x400m relay that was the fastest ever by a Purdue team. Cox ran 23.46 seconds in the 200-invite section at the invitational, just 0.02 of a second faster than Savannah Roberson’s school record, which was run last year. Cox also ran 7.42 seconds in the heats of the 60m and 7.46 seconds in the semis but failed to make the final. She was 17th overall. Cox, along with Jahneya Mitchell, Symone Black and Chloe Abbott, finished the 4×400 in 3:31.63, almost two seconds faster than any other team in the invitational section. Houston’s sophomore Brianne Bethel ran 7.38 seconds in the 60m heats, and 7.36 seconds in the semis, and failed to make the final. She was 13th overall.

Junior sprinter at Auburn University Jenae Ambrose won the women’s 200m in a personal best time of 23.35 seconds, edging teammate Natalliah Whyte, who finished second in 23.40 seconds. She ran 7.50 seconds in the 60m, and failed to make it out of the qualifying rounds.

Also at the Tyson Invitational, Auburn junior Xavier Coakley was 10th overall in the men’s 60m hurdles. He was 10th overall. Texas senior transfer Pedrya Seymour finished second in the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.09 seconds. Her time moves her to No. 6 in the NCAA this season and seventh in school history. She did 8.13 seconds in qualifying. Devynne Charlton ran unattached and finished second in the women’s Olympic development 60m hurdles in 8.07 seconds. She did 8.24 seconds in qualifying.

Latario Collie-Minns finished third in the men’s triple jump invitational with a leap of 16.23m (53’ 3”), while his brother Lathone Collie-Minns was 11th overall with a jump of 15.60m (51’ 2 1/4”). Ryan Higgs also competed unattached in the men’s high jump and finished fourth overall with a best leap of 2.12m (6’ 11-1/2”).

In the collegiate triple jump Florida State junior Ashton Butler was fifth with a leap of 15.36m (50’ 4-3/4”). In the collegiate long jump, South Plains freshman Holland Martin finished tied for seventh with a leap of 7.29m (23’ 11”), and Trae Carey, a senior at Arkansas, was 15th overall with a leap of 7.03m (23’ 0-3/4”).

At the Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, both Taryn Rolle, from Drake University, and Kaiwan Culmer, from the University of Nebraska, won gold in the triple jump. Rolle won the women’s event with a best jump of 12.12m (39’ 9-1/4”), while Culmer won the men’s triple jump with a leap of 15.63m (51’ 3 1/2”). Freshman at Cloud County Community College Kyle Alcine placed first in the high jump with a leap of 2.12m (6’,11-1/2”).

At the Liberty Elite Invitational in Lynchburg, Virginia, freshman Branson Rolle finished third in the men’s 60m hurdles in 8.17 seconds.

A couple of The Bahamas’ elite athletes saw action over the weekend as well. At the 2018 Samford Invite at the Birmingham Metro CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, Jamal Wilson showed tremendous early season form, matching a personal best of 2.31m (7’ 7”) in the men’s high jump. Ramon Miller won the men’s 400m in 47.70 seconds.